Farmers ask Thai government to review reduced rice pledge price

BANGKOK, June 20 (TNA) - Rice farmers are calling on the Thai government to review its decision on cutting the paddy pledge price offered to peasants nationwide. Wichean Phuanglamjiak, President of the Thai Agriculturist Association, told reporters on Thursday that local farmers are gathering information to back their call for the Thai Cabinet to review its resolution on June 19 to cut the paddy pledge price from 15,000 to 12,000 baht per tonne as of June 30, 2013. Wichean pointed out that the Thai Cabinet's Wednesday decision was a sudden change and, after price deduction due to moisture, local rice farmers have received only 10,000 baht per tonne under the existing 15,000 baht-per-tonne pledge price. Wichean, thus, proposed that the Thai government postpone the reduced rice pledge price to late this year, and that local farmers have their say in the changed policy. Wichean acknowledged, however, that the Thai government's set-ceiling of the rice pledge value for each farmer household at 500,000 baht is acceptable, as it does not affect most farmers. Meanwhile, Suwit Sudpud, a member of a rice growers’ council in Thailand's northeastern Sakon Nakhon Province, suggested if the rice pledge price stood at 13,500 baht per tonne, local farmers could make a profit of 1,000-1,500 baht per tonne. (TNA)